Using music (and sport) to lift people out of poverty
In my last blog I wrote about the music project In Harmony as announced by Andrew Adonis last week.
I really, really hope that the government does do what it promises – that is, to have truly inspirational teachers, to give children the opportunity to travel with their orchestras, to learn about hard work and teamwork and to enjoy the feeling of success that goes with a successful performance.
I read a little about the Venezuelan project and was particularly touched by the story of Legna Lacosta, as reported in the Independent on 17th August of last year. At the age of 13, Legna was addicted to crack, dealing drugs and armed with a gun. At 17 he was arrested and put in a youth detention centre. He says that he was saved by the Youth Orchestras’ Project, when they visited his centre and showed him how to play a clarinet. He is now studying in Germany.
The Independent goes on to report that any child that enters one of El Sistema’s centres with a desire to work hard and learn an instrument will be given free tuition.
This got me thinking (dangerous, I know). I wonder if In Harmony could be combined with a variety of other initiatives – extended schools, for example – and whether we could have similar centres in deprived areas. And why stick just to music? It has long been acknowledged that sport can lift people out of poverty, why not offer anyone willing to work hard the opportunity to train, participate in a team and develop the vital life skills that a sport can offer?
Submitted by Libby Reid on 24 Jun 2008
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Government and music
While the heart is in the right place, I hope the government stays out of music as much as possible. I would worry that music is a forced experience rather than an art if the government begins spending money towards it. Some of the greatest artists in the world were the poorest and never got a dime of government money.
El Sistema
Thanks for your response.
I'm not a particularly musical person - I love to listen to it, but have no great talent for any instrument, However, I did get great joy out of learning the recorder and piano when I was a child. I feel so sad about what you say about children in NYC not getting music instruction. I was lucky enough to be in Germany last week visiting family. Whilst there, I watched my nephew perform in his choir. My own four year old son was so taken by it that he has demanded that we find a choir for him to sing in - something that I know little about but it has made me really excited!
After the performance, one of the teachers was telling us about how El Systema has been introduced in Germany. If you wish, I can try to get his contact details for you so that you can share experiences - send me another post if this would be useful and I will look into it for you.
Libby
El Sistema
Thank you for posting this article about El Sistema.
Here in New York City, most of the 1 million children in the public schools DO NOT get any
music instruction or participation; a continuing legacy of deprivation engendered by cuts in the curriculum during a budget crisis in the early 1970s.
New York University professor and New York Times music critic Allan Kozinn wrote on 25 December 2007:
"If you look at how music was taught in public schools 40 years ago — and for decades before that — you’ll see exactly what’s needed now. Back then it was simple: Music was part of the curriculum, like math, science and social studies. Kindergartners and first graders began with singing, note-reading and rhythm-beating, and as the course continued through high school, it touched on the history of music and how it works — much as the 2004 blueprint does, except that schools offering this curriculum were the rule, not the exception.
Even more crucial, if you wanted to play an instrument, lessons were free,"
[http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/25/arts/music/25musi.html?_r=1&ref=music&oref=slogin]
We have an all-volunteer informal group inspired by Maestro José Antonio Abreu's brainchild hoping to bring El Sistema to the under-served children of New York City.
Let's all work together by exchanging and sharing ideas and knowledge that could help transform the lives of these children.
One element we'd like to see integrated into any implementation in the USA is the inclusion of America's classical music––JAZZ.
For one of the best detailed account of how El Sistema works, please go to the following website for Brian Levine's article for The Glenn Gould Foundation. This article is the best thing in lieu of going to Caracas.
[http://www.glenngould.ca/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1]
Again, thanks a musical THRILLion,
Sincerely,
Jaime S. Austria
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